There are many instances where it is desirable to attach one or more pieces of equipment together to form a movable assembly. For example, hospital patients are generally placed in a wheeled hospital bed so that the patients can be moved from one location to another, such as to and from various hospital wards. These patients often have one or more pieces of medical equipment located near the bed for providing various treatments. One such piece of equipment is an intravenous drip bag mounted on a pole extending from a wheeled base or cart (IV pole). When transporting a patient it is usually preferable to keep the IV pole with the patient so as to maintain the flow of solution from the drip bag to the patient. However, transporting a patient coupled to an IV can require additional medical personnel to ensure that the IV pole safely accompanies the patient.
In order to eliminate the need for the additional personnel, various attempts have been made to secure the IV pole to the bed when transporting a patient coupled to an IV. While this may not initially appear to be problematic, a system for coupling the bed and IV pole that is compact, quick, reliable and flexible has proven to be elusive due to competing design requirements and safety issues.
Various obstacles associated with coupling a hospital bed and IV pole are revealed upon examining these components. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical hospital bed 10 has a lower frame 12 supported on a set of wheels 14, an intermediate frame 16 that moves vertically in relation to the lower frame, and an upper frame 20 coupled to the intermediate frame 16 for raising the upper torso of a patient resting on a mattress 22. Generally, the bed 10 further includes a detachable headboard 24 and footboard 26.
FIGS. 2-5 show the bed 10 in various positions including lowered (FIG. 2), raised (FIG. 3), declined, i.e., Trendelenberg (FIG. 4) and inclined, i.e., reverse Trendelenberg (FIG. 5). As shown, the height H of the intermediate frame 16 from the floor 28 can vary depending upon the position desired for or by the patient.
FIG. 6 shows a typical IV pole 50 having a relatively heavy base 52 with wheels 55 affixed to the base from which a column 54 vertically extends. A rack 56 is attached to the column 54 for holding drip bags and other equipment, such as infusion pumps and patient monitoring equipment.
A system for securing the pole 50 to the bed 10 should provide safe, rapid, reliable and secure attachment while accommodating the adjustable features of the bed 10. The secured IV pole should not present hazards to patients or to staff during use. One potential danger to be prevented is the IV pole tipping over. An IV pole and rack may be supporting significant weight that could cause serious injury upon impact or during an attempt to catch a falling pole. A further consideration is the location of the IV pole in relation to the bed. While the pole may initially appear to be well removed from a patient, upon adjustment of the bed, such as to maximum height and/or tilt, the head of a patient may strike a component of the IV pole thereby causing injury. The system should also maintain a predetermined distance between the IV pole and the bed to prevent the pole from striking the bed during transport, or pinching an appendage of a staff person or the IV tubing.
Various attempts have been made to provide a system for coupling an IV pole to a bed that meets the above criteria. Some coupling systems secure the pole to the intermediate portion 16 of the bed frame. Although the intermediate portion 16 of the frame is accessible and can provide adequate stability for the pole, the adjustable height and tilt of the intermediate portion 16 make this portion of the bed unable to provide a fixed attachment point. Further, unstable coupling of the IV pole 50 to the intermediate portion 16 of the frame can cause a top heavy IV pole 50 to tip over in the event that the height of the bed is adjusted. While the lower portion 12 of the frame provides a fixed attachment point, the lower frame is close to the floor and not readily accessible. See also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,169 (Pryor et al.), 5,118,127 (Partington), and 4,149,036 (Sheehan).
One system to link an IV pole and a hospital bed, known as "MobilEquip" made by Hill-Rom of Batesville, Ind., includes a cart having at least one pole extending from the cart. The cart is secured to the lower portion of the bed frame via a linking arm. This arrangement may adequately support the IV pole but dramatically increases the size of the bed/cart assembly as compared with the bed alone. The overall dimensions of the assembly can be a significant impediment when maneuvering the bed through hallways and elevators. Other linking systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,647,491 (Foster et al.), 5,400,995 (Boyd), and 5,319,816 (Ruehe).
Another system, known as "Omni-Pal" made by Pryor Products of Oceanside, Calif., provides a plurality of IV poles mounted to a frame that is secured to a modified intermediate frame portion of the bed. A wheel assembly is swung outward from the base when transporting a patient for stabilizing the assembly. In addition to the space required for the frame and wheel assembly, there is no provision to accommodate height adjustments of the bed. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,169 to Pryor et al.
A still further system, the "Pump Porter" made by Majoska, Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind., includes a roller chain with clamping elements at either end. One clamp is secured to the pole and the other to the bed. The chain flexes in a sideways motion but resists bending and twisting motion that could allow the IV pole to tip over. However, this device cannot accommodate bed height adjustments and is incompatible with certain types of commonly used hospital beds. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,127 to Partington.
It would be desirable to provide a system for attaching an IV pole to an adjustable bed that can accommodate a variety of beds and poles and is safe, secure, quick, reliable and compact.